What does a newborn jaundice blood test check for?

Written by Li Jiao Yan

Neonatology

Updated on February 19, 2025

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Neonatal jaundice is one of the common symptoms during the neonatal period. It may indicate both normal developmental processes and certain diseases. If it is normal physiological jaundice, there is no need for blood tests. However, if pathological jaundice is suspected, blood tests are generally required. The most common test is a liver function test to determine the level of bilirubin in the blood. Additional tests might be conducted, especially if there is an incompatibility in the blood type between the mother and child. In such cases, tests for the baby's blood type and hemolysis are necessary, along with tests for common infection markers. If the mother had other abnormalities before pregnancy, further blood tests might be warranted based on potential conditions that the baby might exhibit.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan

Neonatology

1min 16sec

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Neonatal jaundice bath Chinese medicine

Neonatal jaundice is called "fetal jaundice" in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It primarily refers to infants born with jaundice as the main symptom, characterized by yellowing of the skin and facial area. This condition is related to prenatal constitution, hence it is also known as fetal jaundice or fetal dyspepsia. The causes of fetal jaundice are divided into internal and external factors. Internal factors involve the fetus being affected by the toxins of damp-heat or the evil of deficient-cold and damp-cold from the mother. External factors mainly include the baby being affected by damp-heat or cold-damp evils during or after birth, with damp-heat evils being more common. The main affected organs are the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and stomach, with the key pathogenic mechanism being prenatal damp retention. Commonly used Chinese herbal baths for neonatal jaundice, particularly suitable for damp-heat type jaundice, are generally selected based on the specific conditions of the child, adjusting formulas like Yinchenhao Tang to tailor to the exact pattern of the baby.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan

Neonatology

2min 14sec

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Causes of neonatal jaundice

Neonatal jaundice is generally divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Physiological jaundice is usually considered a normal phenomenon, where the baby's jaundice can naturally recede without much impact on the baby. If it is pathological jaundice, it means that the jaundice level is high, indicating a pathological condition. Pathological jaundice can be further divided into several types, the most common being elevated direct bilirubin and elevated indirect bilirubin, each with different causes. Common causes of jaundice include increased indirect bilirubin due to infections, hemolysis, and mother-infant blood type incompatibility, such as ABO incompatibility where the mother is type O and the baby is not, or the mother has HR-negative blood and the baby has HR-positive blood. Other factors include reduced thyroid function, enzyme deficiencies such as G6PD deficiency, various types of bleeding like gastrointestinal bleeding, intracranial bleeding, or asphyxia at birth. Conditions like hypoxia or acidosis in the baby can also lead to increased jaundice. Additionally, liver function damage due to viral infections like hepatitis B, cytomegalovirus, and other infectious diseases such as syphilis, as well as other viruses like rubella virus and herpes virus can elevate jaundice levels. Developmental abnormalities of the biliary tract, commonly biliary atresia or congenital bile duct dilation, can cause elevated conjugated bilirubin levels. The causes of jaundice are complex, and some causes might remain unidentified. However, if the baby's general condition is good and the jaundice is manageable, it generally does not affect the baby. If jaundice levels are high, it is advised to visit a hospital where doctors can conduct relevant tests based on the baby's specific condition to determine if treatment is needed.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan

Neonatology

1min 6sec

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Do newborns with jaundice love to sleep?

In newborns with jaundice, it is important to determine whether it is physiological or pathological jaundice. Typically, babies with normal physiological jaundice are generally in good condition, able to eat and sleep well. If they are hungry or uncomfortable, they will cry and wake up. However, if a baby continuously sleeps without waking up for a long period of time, does not wake up even when stimulated, it might indicate a condition of excessive sleepiness, which then falls into a pathological state. If the jaundice significantly worsens and affects the brain, it is often referred to as bilirubin encephalopathy, which might initially manifest as excessive sleepiness. Severe infections or other diseases can also present excessive sleepiness as a symptom. Therefore, if you notice that the baby is sleeping significantly more than usual, and appears lethargic and unresponsive, it is advisable to seek medical attention promptly.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan

Neonatology

1min 25sec

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What are the impacts of neonatal jaundice?

Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common phenomena in the neonatal period. It is divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Due to the metabolic characteristics of bilirubin in newborns, about 50%-60% of full-term infants and 80% of preterm infants will experience physiological jaundice. The general condition of babies with physiological jaundice is good; the degree of jaundice is not severe, it does not progress rapidly, and then the jaundice gradually subsides on its own. At this time, no intervention treatment is needed, and it has no impact on the baby. If it is pathological jaundice, where the jaundice continues to rise, if not timely intervened, it might lead to serious complications such as bilirubin encephalopathy and cirrhosis, and may even lead to sudden cessation of respiration and heartbeat, posing a threat to life safety. Therefore, timely intervention and treatment are necessary for pathological jaundice, as jaundice might be the only manifestation of some serious diseases in newborns, such as rapid progression and severe jaundice, which are indications of the illness in the baby.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan

Neonatology

1min 2sec

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Where to test for neonatal jaundice

Neonatal jaundice is one of the common symptoms during the newborn period. Generally, jaundice is monitored in hospitals after the baby is born. If the baby is discharged, jaundice still needs to be monitored. Normal physiological jaundice usually peaks around four to five days and subsides around ten days. If the baby's jaundice is higher than usual after discharge, more frequent monitoring is required. It is generally recommended that jaundice monitoring can be done at local community centers, maternal and child health hospitals, or people's hospitals with obstetrics and gynecology departments, where jaundice can typically be measured. The main test for jaundice is through transcutaneous bilirubin measurement. If the transcutaneous bilirubin measurement is high, it is necessary to confirm whether the bilirubin in the blood is high, which would require going to the hospital for a blood test and liver function test to determine the severity of the jaundice.